Suspended journal stop



United States Patent 3,142,518 USPENDED JGURNAL ST DP John R. McGrath, 156 S. Hawthorne Ave, Elrnhnrst, llil. Filed .ian. '7, 1963, Saar. No. 249,925 2 Claims. (til. Shit-19) This invention relates generally to railroad car axle journal assemblies and concerns, more particularly, a suspended journal stop for use in railroad car journal boxes.

In recent years many attempts have been made to provide effective means for controlling the axle journal within the journal box in a standard railroad car axle assembly. For the present purposes, it will be sufficient to observe that the concept of journal control involves positioning a pair of journal control members or stops within a standard railroad journal box so that shifting movement of the box, relative to the wheel carrying axle, may be limited and controlled. Such journal stops have been particularly advantageous for prolonging the life of the axle journal and its brass, and the rear oil seal or dust guard assembly of the journal box. This is particularly true since the widespread adoption of oil seals to more positively retain oil in the boxes as opposed to the more conventional wooden dust guards. The latter could withstand considerable shock but modern, more efiicient rear oil seals quickly fail when the axle journal is allowed to move relative to the journal box as a result of the wheels encountering irregularities and curves in the supporting rails.

In the previous attempts to provide journal control, it has been necessary to either bore holes through the side walls of the journal box or to weld supporting plates on the interior surface of the journal box side walls in order to maintain the journal control stops in the proper position. Drilling holes through the side walls is objectionable since even the slightest loosening of the bolts inserted through the holes permits lubricant from the journal box to escape and thus soon results in a dry brass. While the above mentioned problem is obviated through the use of welded supporting plates on the inside of the journal box, this latter method is much more costly and also necessitates the removal of the journal box from the axle assembly in order to initially install the journal control means.

Accordingly, it is the primary aim of the present invention to provide a suspended journal stop for use in a railroad journal box which requires only a single opening in the crown or top of the journal box at a location where lubricant does not escape from the box.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a simple and economical suspended journal stop which is supported by a single bolt from the crown of the journal box and which may be easily and quickly installed.

Another object is to provide a suspended journal stop of the above character which is made of a durable and self-lubricating material which can be easily and economically manufactured.

It is a further object to provide such a suspended journal stop as described above which need not be removed when the journal box and axle are separated or reassociated since the stop may be raised within the journal box in order that clearance is provided for removing the axle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section of a railroad car axle journal assembly in which is embodied a suspended journal stop embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section taken approximately alone the line 2-2 in FIG. 1; and

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FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partially in section, taken transversely through the assembly shown in FIG. 1.

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, I intend to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Turning now to the drawings, there is shown a railroad car axle journalling assembly 10 which includes a journal box ill having opposite side walls 12 and 13 interconnected by a top or crown portion 14 which is integrally formed with a truck frame 15. The journal box 11 receives the outer end of an axle 16 having a reduced diameter journal portion 17 and a radially extending end collar 18. Interposed between the journal portion 17 of the axle 16 and the crown 14 of the journal box 11 is a bearing assembly 19, commonly known as the journal brass."

As those familiar with this art will appreciate, the axle 16 carries the wheel of the railroad car, and the weight of the car is transmitted through the truck frame 15 to the axle journal portion 17. The bearing assembly 19 permits free rotation of the axle relative to the journal box.

Those familiar with this art will also appreciate that the parts cannot be expected to remain in their illustrated, static positions when the journal assembly is in operation. Particularly at high speeds, it has been observed that journal boxes and their supporting axles move substantial distances suddenly and sharply as the railroad car swings about a curve in the track, or the wheels bounce over minor imperfections such as the misalined joints between the adjoining rails. As -a result, there is considerable, highly undesirable, relative movement between the journal box 11 and the axle 16.

In accordance with the present invention, a pair of journal stops 21 and 22 are located within the journal box 11 adjacent the box side Walls 12, 13, respectively, and are suspended from the crown 14 so that they may be easily raised and lowered incident to the insertion and withdrawal of the axle 16. In the preferred embodiment, the journal stops 21, 22 are substantially rectangular cubes formed of a wear resistant plastic material such as Ryertex CG. phenolic plastic containing approximately 10% graphite. Another plastic material Which may be used is Adiprene containing polymolybdenum disulfide. These materials have been found to be exceptionally well suited for both absorbing the substantial shocks due to radial movement of the axle 16 and also because of their self-lubricating nature arising from the inclusion of lubricants in their composition.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the stops 21, 22 are located in contact with the side Walls 12, 13 of the journal box 11. Thus, any substantial shocks which the stops receive from the axle 16 are directly transmitted to the walls 12, 13 and absorbed by the truck frame 15. Accordingly, there is essentially no possibility of the stops 21, 22 moving out of position even after prolonged periods of use. It will also be appreciated that, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the stops 21, 22 are located with their midponts bisecting a transverse plane through the center line of the axle 16. Moreover, running clearance is provided between each stop and the journal portion 17 of the axle. It has been found in practice that an initial clearance of about W of an inch is sufiicient to give good journal control.

To locate the stops 21, 22 within the journal box 11, means are provided for suspending the stops from the crown 14 of the journal box. In the illustrated embodiment, the means for suspending each of the stops comprises a single bolt 25 which is inserted into an opening anaaele 26 drilled through the crown of the journal box. The bolt 25 is adapted to be inserted into a bore 27 drilled into each of the stops 21, 22. At the lower side of the bore 27, each of the stops 21, 22 is provided with an enlarged hole 28 of sufficient diameter to receive a washer 29 which is secured to the bolt 25 by means of a cotter pin 30. In this way, there is no danger of scoring the journal portion 17 of the axle due to an exposed cotter pin 30, or of snagging a lubricator pad.

Alternatively, a pair of nuts can be threaded on the lower ends of each of the bolts 25 and jammed together so as to hold the blocks in place. The nuts would, of course, also be received within the countersunk holes in the blocks.

Since the bolt receiving openings 26 in the crown of the journal box 11 are located well away from the lubricant which is retained within the journal box, there is no danger of loss of lubricant from the box. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the shanks of the bolts 25 substantially fill the openings 26, and the bolt heads overlie the openings, resisting the liklihood of water or dirt entering the box and of oil escaping.

It will now be appreciated from the above description that the novel suspended journal control stops 21, 22 of the present invention may be quickly and easily installed in a standard railroad car journal box 11. The installation may be made without the use of special equipment and by workers without special skills. All that the instal lation requires is to drill two small openings 26 in the crown 14 of the journal box 11, insert the bolts 25, and mount the stops 21, 22, washers 29 and cotter pins 39 on the suspended bolts. An additional feature resides in the fact that the suspended stops 21, 22 can be installed in the journal box 11 separated from the axle 16. This provides ample room within the journal box for mounting the stops on the bolts 25 and eliminates the danger of smashed fingers which might occur due to sealitive shifting of the journal box and axle during the installation of the stops.

When the axle 16 and journal box 11 are reassociated or subsequently separated, it is not necessary to remove the suspended journal stops 21, 22 from the journal box. Rather, the bolts 25 may merely be lifted thereby raising the stops 21, 22 above the center line of the axle 16, or the stops can he slid up on the bolts beyond the axle center line. In this way, ample clearance is provided for the end collar 13 to be axially inserted into or withdrawn from the journal box.

Finally, it will be apparent that the suspended journal stops 21, 22 may be easily and economically manufactured using mass production techniques. In this regard, it will be noted that the substantially cubical shape of the stops affords maximum usage of the preferred stock material with a minimum amount of waste.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a railroad car axle journalling assembly including a journal box having opposite side walls interconnected by a crown portion and rotatably receiving the journal portion of an axle formed with an enlarged terminal collar. the combination comprising, a pair of substantially cubical journal stops located within the journal box with respective ones of the stops adjacent the opposite side walls of the journal box, means suspending each of said journal stops from the crown of the journal box whereby each of said stops is approximately bisected by a horizontal plane extending through the center line of said axle, said stops being dimensioned to provide running clearance for said journal portion of the axle when suspended by said means, and said means permitting the stops to be raised within said journal box to afford clearance for said enlarged terminal collar when said axle and said journal box are axially separated.

2. In a railroad car axle journalling assembly including a journal box having opposite side walls interconnected by a crown portion and rotatably receiving the journal portion of an axle formed with an enlarged terminal collar, the combination comprising, a pair of substantially cubical journal stops located within the journal box with respective ones of the stops being adjacent the opposite side walls of the journal box, a pair of spaced apart openings in the crown of the journal box, a pair of bolts inserted downwardly through said openings so as to hang on either side of said axle, each of said stops having a bore dimensioned for reception of said bolts and said stops being slidably mounted each on one of said bolts, and means securing said stops on said bolts in suspended relationship, said stops including an enlarged recess formed with said bore, said recess receiving said securing means in protected relationship.

Gensbigler July 25, 1905 Sweger June 30, 1962 

1. IN A RAILROAD CAR AXLE JOURNALLING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A JOURNAL BOX HAVING OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS INTERCONNECTED BY A CROWN PORTION AND ROTATABLY RECEIVING THE JOURNAL PORTION OF AN AXLE FORMED WITH AN ENLARGED TERMINAL COLLAR, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY CUBICAL JOURNAL STOPS LOCATED WITHIN THE JOURNAL BOX WITH RESPECTIVE ONES OF THE STOPS ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS OF THE JOURNAL BOX, MEANS SUSPENDING EACH OF SAID JOURNAL STOPS FROM THE CROWN OF THE JOURNAL BOX WHEREBY EACH OF SAID STOPS IS APPROXIMATELY BISECTED BY A HORIZONTAL PLANE EXTENDING THROUGH THE CENTER LINE OF SAID AXLE, SAID STOPS BEING DIMENSIONED TO PROVIDE RUNNING CLEARANCE FOR SAID JOURNAL PORTION OF THE AXLE WHEN SUSPENDED BY SAID MEANS, AND SAID MEANS PERMITTING THE STOPS TO BE RAISED WITHIN SAID JOURNAL BOX TO AFFORD CLEARANCE FOR SAID ENLARGED TERMINAL COLLAR WHEN SAID AXLE AND SAID JOURNAL BOX ARE AXIALLY SEPARATED. 